


Train of Thought

by car_yl



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26312464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/car_yl/pseuds/car_yl
Summary: Karrin's ex has thoughts watching Dresden interact with Karrin at a family function. Set just before Peace Talks.
Relationships: harry/karrin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50





	1. Rick

TRAIN OF THOUGHT

What does Karrin Murphy see in that Dresden guy? Sure he carried her and her 25 pounds of casts into the yard for this Memorial Day barbeque as if she weighed no more than that tiny daughter of his, but lots of guys are strong. I’m strong. Maybe not that strong. Strength isn’t everything.

He’s been here 2, maybe 3 hours now and he hasn’t gotten more than 10 feet away from her in all that time, except when he went to the bathroom. I think that’s where he went. I didn’t follow him.

He also carried her to the bathroom. 

“I can get there on my own, Dresden.” She insisted.

“Yeah, but I can get you there faster, Before your bladder bursts.”

“Dresden,” she growled a warning in the rising tone.

He just grinned and carried her away.

He’s got that head of his on a swivel too. Watching the daughter and Karrin every minute. Good thing the kid has that giant dog with her. Otherwise he’d be running those stork like legs of his off going back and forth between them.  
_____________________________________________________

God he’s such a mooch. He must have eaten at least 5 burgers and whole plates full of sides. Where does he put it? He’s still as thin as a rail if maybe a little broader in the chest. That happens as we men put on some age. Could be all that twitching he does burns it off. I mean, he’s been cranking the hand churn for the homemade ice cream for nearly an hour. How can he go at it that long without a break?  
_____________________________________________________

He can dance?! I mean, yeah it was cute when his daughter asked him to ‘dance’ with her. He was picking her up and swinging her around and she was giggling. She’d been pretty quiet, just watching the other kids play and hanging onto that dog up until that song came on the radio. The one about dancing with Cinderella. I don’t know why he put the radio in that circle of salt though or why he insists everyone use the remote to adjust it until he leaves. Then Lisa’s mother turned to some station playing some really old stuff. I think it was a Peggy Lee number that set things off.

“Mother Murphy, do you swing?” The giant ass asked with what looked like a twinkle in his eye.

“I prefer to shag,” my mother-in-law said with a smirk. My jaw dropped.

“Carolina or Collegiate?” he asked. What?!

“No St. Louis?” Marion asked.

“Not with these legs. I’d rather Not kick my girlfriend’s mother in the shins.” God, that was such a shit eating grin. And then he danced her through the rest of the song with actual competence. At least it looked good to me. But what would I know. I don’t dance. Lisa shot me a look, which doesn’t help me like him any better. Would I like anyone who captured Karrin’s interest?  
_____________________________________________________

Yeah, I know he’s been hanging around her for years. I’ve seen the puppy dog eyes he was always making when he looked at her. She never seemed to care that much. I figured he was just a handy beard to keep her mom at bay. I was also sure he was the reason she lost her rank. I thought she’d kick him to the curb then. I’m pretty sure he was involved in her ‘early retirement’ too. So why is she now looking at him like he hung the moon? Just because he was ‘missing, presumed dead’? Because she got hurt so badly in that ‘car wreck’? 

——————————————————————————————  
She can’t really think he’s good looking. He might have been okay looking before he started collecting all those scars but come on- The guy looks like an NBA player turned pirate. Lisa tells me that her sisters-in-law think Dresden’s smile is ‘killer’ and ‘lights up his whole face’. Women-

See, the girls were talking and giggling and then Karrin called out, “Oh Farm Boy.” And crooked her finger at Dresden when he looked over. He got this look I couldn’t interpret. Half lidded eyes, kind of swallowing a laugh. Weird. As he got up to go to her I asked, “Farm Boy?”

“You mean you haven’t used your position to investigate my past Rick? You don’t know about Hog Hollow? You’re slipping old buddy.” Sarcasm dripping from every word while he turned a smirk my way. He tapped the toe of my shoe as he moved away. If he’s giving the info away, it can’t be important. But hey, I Don’t know about Hog Hallow. Maybe I’ll check it out.

“Yes ma’am?” He says to Karrin meek as a lamb.

“The girls say it’s impossible to ‘kiss slow’ like in that song that just played. I said you were an expert. Care to demonstrate?” When did Karrin ever talk like that? And where did that Tone come from?

Dresden’s ears started turning red. But he stepped over, knelt beside her chair, picked up her right hand and kissed her fingers. Then he turned her hand over and kissed her wrist and said, “As,” kissed the inside of her elbow- “you”, kissed her collarbone near the hollow of her throat, “wish”.

Karrin threw her head back and laughed. Not loud but full, rich. I remember that laugh. I could rarely get her to laugh at all and never like that. He always seems to be able to make smile and laugh. How- How does he do it? Then they were touching their foreheads together, one of his hands on the back of her chair, the other lightly on her waist, and Karrin said in a throaty voice, “Dresden, you are such a giant dork.”

“Yeah,” he gave the word like 4 syllables, “but I’m Your giant dork.” If his grin got any bigger his face would split.

Karrin took her now free hand and ran it through his hair and said, “Yes. Yes you are.” Her voice so low I could barely make out the words.

Dresden tilted his head just a fraction of an inch and let gravity work for him. His lips brushed against hers so lightly they were barely touching, back and forth, once, twice and then Karrin pulled him down into a long, deep kiss. I swear it lasted more than 60 seconds. The ‘girls’ were making appreciative noises, Ooos and Ahhs. It might have gone on longer if his daughter hadn’t walked up and said, “Eww! Dad! Again?!”

Then their foreheads were touching again and they were both laughing softly. “Yes, again Maggie.” Dresden said mirth clear in his voice. He turned from Karrin as fast as lightning, grabbed his daughter and started kissing her tiny face all over with quick little smoochy, noisy kisses. And all the girls sitting there watching all of this said, “Awww” in unison. Like it was the cutest thing they’d ever seen. The kid was squealing in delight and the look on Karrin’s face- fond, indulgent, Soft! I can’t remember the last time I saw her look that way. Had I Ever seen her look that way? Was that look for Dresden or for Maggie? I mean she’s too old to have kids of her own now, right?

Yeah, I feel a little smug about that. She didn’t want to have kids when I wanted to have kids. She was sure I wanted to ’short-circuit’ her career because she was ‘better’ than me. And now she’s ‘in love’ with the guy that actually did short-circuit that job she loved more than me, more than having a family! The irony! But maybe the kid is part of the reason she’s into Dresden now: Instant family. Still, there’s no ring, no talk of marriage except from Lisa and her mom.  
_____________________________________________________

Who throws a strand of black cats at a cop event? Myself and all the family members still actively on the force pulled out our off duty weapons when the first one went off. I watched Karrin to see if she had a weapon. She didn’t show one. Was I hoping she had been illegally concealed carrying? She looked frustrated for a split second. But maybe that’s because Dresden had almost thrown his daughter into her lap and himself over both their bodies. Chivalrous; but Karrin hates that stuff. Or she used to.

“Dresden! Get off me.” She was pushing oh his chest.

He lifted himself up, blushing as he did so. “Sorry.”

She grabbed the front of his shirt but Maggie said, “Da-a-ad!” and they separated both grinning like fools. 

Then Karrin asked, “Are you two going to be alright for the fireworks?”

Maggie looked up, back and forth between them with eyes open very wide and reached for the dog. “Mouse and me will be okay. Are you gonna be okay, Daddy?”

“Well, I will if you and Mouse stay close to me. Right Karrin?” Yeah, that was a good play, tying Karrin into the decision, making her and Dresden a team in the eyes of the kid without making her a bad guy. Hmm… this guy may be smarter than I thought.

He’s always seemed so clueless. I never knew what he did for SI that was so great. Plus he always struck me as shy, twitchy, gawky, poor posture, poor dress sense, broke all the time, you know, a suspicious type, but now- now- well, I’m sure Karrin’s the one who has him dressing better. Yeah, he stands a little taller and maybe he’s a little less awkward, more confident? Damn, he’s even lost that half starved look he always had. Has he come into money? How is he earning these days? Is his PI license still valid? I mean he was ‘missing’ for about a year! Really more like two. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who could navigate that much paperwork on his own. Hmm, yeah, still suspicious.

Maybe that’s another reason Karrin’s going for him. They worked together for over a decade. Naw, We had worked together, but we were kind of in competition. Or maybe that’s why it took them so long to get together. She was kind of his boss.

Or maybe it’s the danger. I’m not ‘dangerous’ enough. Dresden’s been arrested a couple of times but no charges have ever been filed. Still, he’s always got bruises and wounds and new scars. Heck, he was in a cast when she was in the hospital. He’s been in battles that never show up in official police files, FBI files or any official records I’m aware of. Maybe I can find somebody to look into it. Karrin would never have done anything crooked but a charlatan like Dresden-? What’s the name of that IA guy? Rudolf? I could give him a call, see what he knows.


	2. Lisa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa's thoughts at the same family gathering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Jim Butcher for many hours of enjoyable and addictive reading and for letting an amateur play in his pool, with his toys.
> 
> The muse took a left turn and Lisa popped out.

So, this is the first time I've seen Karrin and Harry together since they became 'officially' a couple. Hmm, I never realized how 'handsy' Harry could be until now. Okay, so he's not groping or grabbing or controlling or anything but he's always ... touching her; tracing patterns on her skin with his fingertips, putting his hand on her back or tucking her hair behind her ear. Just tiny, inconsequential stuff but Constant. How can she stand that?

What am I saying? Look at her. Unless he's off looking after Maggie, if there's more than two minutes when they aren't in contact then SHE touches HIM. The way she Leaned into him, putting her head in the hollow of his shoulder and pressing her spine against him from shoulder to hip. I wouldn't be able to slip a piece of paper between them. Really! Why didn't she just trail her fingers across his lap? I mean, could she be more obvious? And she told mom they hadn't... yet. Yes, she said 'Yet'. God, they're behaving like teenagers!

And mom looks like she's eating it up with a spoon! She NEVER looked at Rich and me that way. But Karrie always was her 'favorite'.

(Sigh) Were Rich and I ever like that? I think we were,... before the kids, the morning sickness, the breast feeding, before diapers and exhaustion and now PTA meetings. Well, Rich wanted kids. So I gave him kids. Just wait until Karrie- Wait! She's over 40. It's not really likely she'll BE pregnant is it? Your mistake Karrie. Point, Lisa.

Yeah, yeah, the stepmom thing. Not the same! Wonder if she'll go the adoption route. That's an expensive proposition and she's only got a cop's partial pension. Lord knows, Harry's never been much of an earner. A full adoption will probably be too expensive for them to handle. Even if they do scrape together the money... Well, it's kind of like Karrie's 'buying' a child. Heh. Point, Lisa.

Dancing? With mom? Yeah, that's not the kind of dancing Rich and I did- do. It has been a while since we've been dancing but, it's such a hassle getting sitters. We usually do family stuff; movies and the like. That's our choice. No points.

Rich plays guitar too. So he strums mostly and hasn't serenaded me in years. And Rich sings and he sounds a LOT better than,.. how did Harry describe it? A blend of Leonard Cohen and Joe Cocker with a tendency to change keys without notice'? No, Rich has a lovely tenor and he stills sings lullabies to the kids when they're sick or have nightmares. If he's home. Draw?

POETRY! He's quoting poetry?! And not just Shakespeare and old stuff but 21st century poets like Atticus, and Towne and Gregson. "How do you even know these guys, if you can't use a computer?" I asked. "Aren't these guys internet poets?" Maggie's foster sister got him a copy of their books? Their books!? Really? Who gives a 'guy' a book of poems? "Harry reads," Karrin said. Yeah right. Rich reads too; reports, maybe bedtime stories, occasionally, and the sports page- . Harry's only interest in sports seems to be the Cubs. If only- I shot Rich a look. I couldn't help it. HE NEVER quoted poetry. Call it even..., for now.


	3. MARION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marion's thoughts, same day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the end of this one.

  
MARION

Ohhh, punkin. He calls his child ‘punkin’. Isn’t that sweet? My newest ‘grandchild’. Well, it may or may not ever be ‘official’ but **I’ve** decided that Maggie is mine as much as any of my grandchildren because she’s Harry’s and Karrin Loves Harry. Capital ‘L’, loves.

Harry calls my daughter, ‘love’. Just ‘love’. Not ‘my love’, no possessives; no qualifiers; no limiters, like ‘love of my life’, just love.  
As if, for him, she is the personification, the embodiment of everything that word means. I believe that, for Harry, that’s true. Why else would he have waited so long for her to come around?

Yes, he tried to find love without her once. After she kept him in the ‘friend zone’ for years. “We’re just friends mom. Best friends, but just friends.” Ri-i-g-h-t Karrie, a mother knows her child and I knew that was a crock. A crock she’d convinced herself was true but a crock, nonetheless.

After 2 divorces I could understand that Karrie had issues. Greg didn’t want to let her grow up into her own woman. He wanted her to stay his little girl/'wifey'. She wasn’t having that. Oh the fights-

Rich was almost as bad; he wanted kids and he wanted them on his schedule. Of course, Karrie has always thought it was about competition with him; that he couldn’t take her being better at the job. Well, he’s got what he said he wanted with Lisa; kids and no competition.

No, Harry is just what Karrie’s always needed; a man who is strong enough not to be threatened by **her** strength; Strength calling to strength.

And trust, Harry seems to know Karrie’s secrets, the horrors she’s dealt with and she seems to know his, like what happened with Maggie’s mom. Susan?- Yes, Susan.

I know Susan hurt him badly. Karrie said Harry was near suicidal for a while after they first broke up. That’s how her dad died, suicide. Karrie would have fought like hell to keep a friend from going that way. Maybe Harry having the strength to pull out of that kind of deep, dark hole is part of what helped her turn the corner with him. So to speak. 

Karrie also told me Susan had never told Harry about Maggie, kept her from him for years. I don’t know how she died. I just know that because she died Harry got custody of Maggie. Karrie told me Harry would ‘burn down the world’ for his child. **_I_** think he’d do the same for **her**.

Lucky, lucky Karrie! Any man who moves that well on the dance floor…. Well, you know the old saying … the equivalent to the one about the size of a man’s feet matching…. No, Marion, don’t go there. That’s none of your business. Besides you want Harry to think the flush on your face is due to the exertion of the dance not the path of your thoughts.

I’d ask Karrie what she’s waiting for but she’d **never** discuss that subject with her mother. But Lisa might… No, that would just end in more unpleasantness between them. (Sigh) When is that ever going to end?

Maybe if I brought up Mr. Hawaii? No, I’m not supposed to know about that trip. Hmm, does Harry know about Mr. Hawaii, about that trip? Darn! I can’t even ask him! I’ll bet he knows. Karrie was seeing Mr. Hawaii on and off for nearly 6 years, but if he doesn’t…. I sure don’t want to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Harry’s too good a match for Karrie to take that chance. I’ve seen him argue with her and WIN.

He even seems to appreciate her ‘talents’. He was grinning from ear to ear when he said he’d never willingly upset Karrie because ‘she could break my arm in 7 places before I could blink’. -I wonder if that’s still true, or if it will be true once the casts come off.- Harry certainly seems to take the swats and pinches and elbowing in stride. He treats them as if they’re love taps. What does that say about them?

No, no, not going there. Not going there. He’s my pseudo son-in-law for gosh sakes. But, Karrie, are you noticing just how -ehem- appealing your Harry is? 

Oh yes, she’s noticing! I like what I’m hearing. “Harry is patient. Harry is generous. He serenades me on the guitar to help me sleep. He’s such a great dad. Yes, I have seen him naked. Yes, more than once.” That one surprised me until she said he was either semi-conscious or passing out with exhaustion at those times and she was just 'preserving his privacy/dignity'. Hmm-

Still, the only things she would say about the view was that, “he has a runner’s body” and “Harry’s a very private kind of guy, especially about intimate matters”. When they pushed she got protective, “That’s for me to know and you to never find out.” And when Karrie gets that particular glint a wise person knows to stop. 

That’s when Lisa issued a challenge. Something about a song that had just played on the radio and kissing. Karrie fought with herself for a few seconds and then called Harry over. She asked him to kiss her. There was some unspoken communication, all with the eyes. Harry glanced Lisa’s way. He started blushing but he complied and Wow! Anyone watching could tell is was a Good, capital G, kiss. Lisa was turning a little green around the gills. Then Maggie interrupted and that was so cute! I think Harry was a little relieved though. I'm sure I heard him growl right before Maggie showed up.

Yes, Karrie has found her match. I am convinced that this time it’s for real, this time it will last.

Now, my next job is to convince her to marry the guy. What to do, what to do, what to do?


End file.
